K.J. Choi captured the first major of his career after securing a two-stroke victory at the Senior Open Championship on Sunday in Carnoustie, Scotland.
Choi, 54, finished with a 2-under-par 70 on the final round and ended up with a total of 10-under-par 278 at Carnoustie Golf Links. Sunday’s triumph was his first since the 2021 PURE Insurance Championship.
Choi rolled in a long putt for an eagle on the par-5 14th to highlight his day. He also had four birdies to offset four bogeys.
“I prayed all week,” said Choi, who became the first South Korean to win a senior major. “Either way I started very nervous, and some speed was off, which was the difference … I kept my attention and prayed. I felt more comfortable in the swing.”
Choi entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Australian Richard Green, who was bidding for his first major on the Champions Tour.
Green shot a 71 on Sunday to finish in second place at 8-under. He shot even-par on the front nine before recording four birdies against three bogeys on the back nine.
Green ended up two strokes ahead of England’s Paul Broadhurst (70 on Sunday), who won the tournament in 2016 at Carnoustie.
“A little bit tentative, leaving everything a foot and a half short,” Broadhurst said. “I had a bit of a run at it on 12 and hit it six feet by and made it coming back.
“Obviously K.J. has played really well around the back. I don’t know what happened, but he went from nowhere to four clear. He’s obviously killed it somewhere around the mid part of the round. So great stuff to him. He’s played really well.”
Canadian Stephen Ames, the first-round leader, carded a 71 to reside in fourth place at 3-under, one stroke ahead of a seven-golfer contingent in fifth place.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who was included in that mix, had finished second at the event in each of the past two years. He overcame a disastrous start to the final round — a triple bogey and a double bogey on the first two holes — and made a spirited rally to finish with a 72 on Sunday.
“Yeah, look, that’s what happens in this game,” Harrington said. “I knew I had to push today. I think even after that, the couple of eagle chances, I had three good eagle chances there. I could have slipped a few more putts in. But the good news for me is K.J. has run away with it, which is a nice thing. I would hate to be finishing up today and 6-under par, 7-under par was winning; it was would have been a disappointing day.”
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
